[Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center, http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/ ]
The Scandinavia pattern (SCAND) consists of a primary circulation center which spans Scandinavia and large portions of the
Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. Two additional weaker centers with opposite sign to the Scandinavia center are located over
western Europe and over the Mongolia/ western China sector. The Scandinavia pattern is a prominent mode of low frequency variability
in all months except June and July, and has been previously referred to as the Eurasia-1 pattern by Barnston and Livezey (1987).
The positive phase of this pattern is associated with positive height anomalies, sometimes reflecting major blocking anticyclones,
over Scandinavia and western Russia, while the negative phase of the pattern is associated with negative height anomalies
over these regions.
The time series for the Scandinavia pattern also exhibits relatively large interseasonal, interannual and interdecadal variability.
For example, a negative phase of the pattern dominated the circulation from early 1964 through mid-1968 and from mid-1986
through early 1993. Negative phases of the pattern have also been prominent during winter 1988/89, spring 1990, and winter/spring
1991/92. In contrast, positive phases of the pattern were observed during much of 1972, 1976 and 1984.